Problems can make us doubt God. When everything is going well for you, you will continue to praise God because you have nothing to worry about. However, we are challenged to believe in God at a time when we face difficult situations that we do not know how to solve. There are several characters in the Bible who doubt God. The stories of these biblical characters who used to doubt God were compiled into the Bible as God’s will for us to read because God wants us to know how to trust and not doubt him (2 Timothy 3:16).
Job
Job doubted the goodness of God when God gave Satan permission to destroy his livestock, servants, children, and ultimately his health. Job did not know that it was Satan who was causing him all these problems. Satan challenged God when he asked what he thought of his servant Job. Satan’s excuse is that God had put a protective shield on him. The second time that Satan appeared before God, God asked him again what he thought of his servant Job and Satan replied that Job remains upright because he is still healthy. Therefore, God allowed Satan to destroy Job’s health, but he was not allowed to kill him.
Job felt as if God purposely struck him with these calamities to make him a failure. Job disagreed with his friends’ statement that God punished him with these calamities because he sinned. Job wanted a fair trial in court with God. He wanted God to tell him where he had done wrong. In the end, God spoke to Job and rebuked him for questioning him. Job repented of questioning the goodness of God. God gave Job back twice the cattle he used to have and blessed him with 10 other children (The Book of Job).
Gideon
Gideon doubted God’s ability to help him win the war against the Midianites, so he prayed that God would give him proof. He prayed that God would wet the wool of the age, but dry the land. The next morning, Gideon found the wool wet but the ground dry. He drained a bowl of water from the wool. He prayed to God again. This time, he asked God to make the wool of the threshing dry, but wet the earth. The next morning, Gideon found the wool dry but the ground wet.
God sent most of Gideon’s men home. Only 300 of Gideon’s 22,000 men remained to go to war with the Midianites. The 300 were the men who lapped up the water while the rest knelt to take a drink from the streams. God did this so that Gideon would not think that he would win the victory over the Midianites with his own effort.
When God called Gideon to fight the Midianites, Gideon was afraid and God told him to go to the Midianite camp with his servant Purah to hear what the soldier was saying. When Gideon and Purah arrived, it was the moment that the Midianite soldier changed shifts. One Midianite soldier told another soldier that he had dreamed of a barley loaf falling into the Midianite camp and hitting the tent so hard it collapses. The other soldier replied that his dream must mean that God had delivered the Midianites into the hands of Gideon. This added value to Gideon and led his men to attack the Midianites. In the end, God gave Gideon a victory against the Midianites (Judges 6-8).
Barak
Barak doubted God and would not go to war unless Deborah accompanied him. Deborah warned him that the honor of killing Sisera would fall to a woman if she accompanied him, but she didn’t care. Barak fought and defeated Sisera and his army. However, it was Jael, Heber’s wife, who killed Sisera. It so happened that Sisera came to Jael’s tent while escaping from Barak. Sisera went to bed in the tent and asked for something to drink. Jael gave him a milk hide. Sisera drank and fell asleep. Then Barak drove a stake into Sisera’s skull (Judges 4-5).
Thomas
Thomas was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. He doubted that Jesus had risen. He wouldn’t believe unless he saw the nail marks on Jesus’ hands and put his finger where his nails were and put his hand into his side. After 8 days, Jesus appeared again with his disciples. This time, Thomas was with the disciples. Jesus let Thomas put his finger on him, see his hands, and put them at his sides. So, Thomas believed that Jesus Christ had really risen from the dead. However, Jesus said that blessed are those who believe even when they have never seen it before (John 20: 24-29).
Everyone will face problems in life (John 16:33). You should pray and seek God’s help when you are in trouble (Philippians 4: 6-7; 1 Peter 5: 7; Ephesians 6:18). You should not doubt God’s ability to help you solve your problem (Romans 14:23; James 1: 6-8; Genesis 3). After praying, you should not declare with a negative attitude that your problem will not be solved. You should keep thanking God in all circumstances until your problem is resolved (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20).